The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-10-21
OWL SERVICE.

New COLUMBUS, PA, Oct. 1S, 1887.
EDIToRs COLUMBIAN
The inadequacy Of any law that 10
obnoxious to public sentiment is gen
orally apparent through its frequent
violations and evasions. We know OF
no statute to-day more perplexingly
inadequate than the still-born enact
ment known as the Civil Service Re
form law. 1t is innocently presumed
to effect the publication Of the public
service by legalizipg the Office to the
meritorious incumbent for time without
end, and without regard to his politics
or religion. 1t Is ostensibly a political
purifier, but really political demoral
izer and disorganizer, because of its
Inconsistency. The incoming Admin
istration, for instance, may not har-
monize its appointments or its offices
with the sovereign will of the people
that elected it; but, however narrow
its margin OF votes may have been, it
is simply permitted to gaze upon the
enemy in office under it, remembering
that this enemy inherited the Office, so
to speak, before this Administration
was born, aud because of this legal en-
actment, which does not even disfran-
chise him, he must be permitted to re-
main, and turned over to the next Ad-
ministration along with the chairs, car
pets, spittoons aud other furniture. 1t
does not offend the truth nor mend the
matter to say the law is evasive and is
itself eyaded; and it is but the truth
to say it was inspired by office-holding
politicians, without regard to party, as
matter of personal convenience in
evading their friends after Office. 1t
never emanated from the true source,
the sovereign power, the people, nor It
never will. Our law makers conceived
it, or they evidently copied it from the
English Civil Service, and such as it
is we have with vengeance. 1t is
simply legal subterfuge for our pub
lie men who are troubled with place
hunters. Only this, and nothing more.
No doubt they thought to enact it and
apply it by stealth, as it were, and then
cultivate public sentiment at leisure
through the medium OF the Civil Ser
vice Reform League, of which the
scholarly George VIM. Curtis is the
able exponent. As little Mugwump,
and at the risk of being squelched by
this big Mugwump, or somebody else,
we must protect against it in behalf
of popular government. How far the
Administrator has succeeded in apply
ing and enforcing this law, and how
far public sentiment has been cultivated
in its favor you will learn in full when
the next campaign opens; for the re-
port, or rather the lament, of Mr.. Cur
tis, is, we fear, misleading in some
particulars, while in others he seems
frank enough to say over the grave of
his hobby, (while the Administration
stands with uncovered head as chief
mournerD ''let those who have tears to
shed prepare to shed them" His re-
port is as peculiarly artful as he knows
how to make it,and his ominous silence
on the practical effects of thus attempt
ing to lnnoculate a little monarchical
virus into our Republican body polite
is quite apparent. This noxious law is
enormously supposed to be the very
pinnacle of Mugwump desire, big and
little. But such is not the case for
rather the effort of the Mugwump or
Stalwarts if you please was the very
thing' they accomplished, viz. the de-
feat of the Unplumed Knight because
of his treaohery in politics and relig-
ion.
| Admitting the practical failure OF
the law, Mr.. Curtis marked ability
alone enables him to close its grave
respectfully while he sffectionately
wipes the falling tear from the eye of
the President. Now, we need not
doubt the sincerity of either the Presi-
dent or Mr.. Curtis as political reform
ers but we may doubt the utility of
the law as applied to our system Of
government and we may condemn il
as inconsistent, if nothing worse, and
as creative of greater evils than it pre-.
tends to avert. Under the Civil Ser.
vice plan of ease TO law makers and OF
salvation to office holders we fancy we
see defects and intolerable infringments
upon our sovereign rights, and hence
these tears. Regarding the law a.
offensive to the genius of our popular
government, in the first place, we think
experience demonstrates its impractica
bility. I.J.J.